Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Gila Silver Blue Grama
Gila Silver is a low desert selection of blue grama, the native bunchgrass known for its curled, eyebrow-shaped seed heads. It forms small clumps of thin, blue-green leaves about a foot tall and wide. In summer, bare stalks carry golden seed heads above the leaves. Its fine roots hold soil on slopes, and it fits small yards, beds and pots on little water.
Best for: Small yards and narrow beds, pots, slopes and roadside strips that need soil held in place, and native plantings that want a short grass with summer seed heads.
It stays about 12 inches tall and wide, so it fits narrow beds, small urban yards and containers. Golden seed heads rise above the leaves in summer.
Blue grama roots spread 1 to 1.5 feet wide and can reach 3 to 6 feet deep. That holds soil on slopes, banks and roadside strips. Plant clumps 18 to 24 inches apart.
Birds eat the seeds, and the leaves feed the caterpillars of many butterflies and moths. Leave the seed heads standing through fall instead of trimming them off.
Rabbits and rodents eat the leaves, so protect new plants until they are growing strongly. It goes dormant and turns tan in winter, so it is not a year-round green grass.
- Mass planting or slope18 in apart
- Plant to plant18-24 in apart
Water new plants every 3 to 4 days at first, then stretch it to every 10 to 14 days by about two months. Keep watering deeply through the first summer so the roots grow down.
Once rooted, water deeply every week or two in summer and about once a month in winter. It gets by on rain plus an occasional summer soak, but more water keeps it fuller.
Cut it back hard once in late winter or early spring, down to 2 to 3 inches, before new growth starts. Old dead stems shade out new growth if you skip it for years.
Rabbits and rodents eat the leaves. Protect new plants until they are growing strongly.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is Gila Silver blue grama?
It is a selection of blue grama, a grass native to Arizona, chosen to do well in low desert landscapes. Many blue grama plants come from northern seed, so pick Gila Silver for Valley heat.
How big does Gila Silver get?
It forms a small clump about 12 inches tall and wide. Plain blue grama is listed at about 2 feet, so plan on Gila Silver staying smaller.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant blue grama 18 to 24 inches apart, center to center. Use about 18 inches on a slope or for a fuller group. The Spacing tab shows both.
What do the seed heads look like?
In summer, bare stalks rise above the leaves with golden, flag-like seed heads. As they mature they curl into small eyebrow shapes. Leave them up for the look and for the birds.
How often should I water it?
Water new plants every few days, then stretch it to every 10 to 14 days over about two months. Once rooted, water deeply every week or two in summer and about once a month in winter.
Does it stay green in winter?
No. Blue grama goes dormant and turns tan in winter, and long dry spells can also send it dormant. It greens up again when the weather warms.
When should I cut it back?
Cut it back once in late winter or early spring, down to 2 to 3 inches, before new growth starts. Avoid shearing it through the year, which removes the seed heads.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It stays small and works in pots and small urban yards. Give it full sun and soil that drains.
Is it good for erosion control?
Yes. Blue grama is used for slope and roadside stabilization, and its roots can reach 3 to 6 feet deep. Plant it on banks and bare slopes.
Do rabbits eat it?
Yes, rabbits and rodents eat blue grama leaves. Protect new plants until they are growing strongly.
How cold hardy is it?
Blue grama takes cold down to about -30°F. In winter it simply goes dormant and turns tan.
Can Gila Silver bother allergies?
Yes. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Gila Silver Blue Grama for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Gila Silver is a blue grama selection picked to do well in the low desert, where it stays a small clump about a foot tall and wide. Below you will find its size, spacing, watering, winter look, the yearly cutback and how it compares with plain blue grama.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Gila Silver vs regular blue grama
Gila Silver is a blue grama selection chosen for low desert landscapes, while many blue grama plants come from northern seed. It also stays smaller, about 12 inches tall and wide, compared with about 2 feet for plain blue grama.
How big does Gila Silver blue grama get?
It forms a small clump of thin, blue-green leaves about a foot tall and wide. That size suits small yards, narrow beds and pots.
How far apart to plant blue grama in Phoenix
Plant blue grama 18 to 24 inches apart, center to center. Use about 18 inches on slopes or where you want the clumps to grow together.
Watering blue grama in the Valley
Water new plants every few days, then stretch the gap over about two months. Once rooted, water deeply every week or two in summer and about once a month in winter.
When to cut back blue grama
Cut it back once in late winter or early spring, down to 2 to 3 inches, before new growth. Skip trimming through the year so the seed heads stay.
Blue grama for slopes and erosion control
Blue grama is planted for slope and roadside stabilization. Its roots spread 1 to 1.5 feet wide and can go 3 to 6 feet deep, which holds soil in place.
Is blue grama native to Arizona?
Yes. Blue grama is a common native grass in southern Arizona and across the dry grasslands of the West. It goes tan in winter and greens up with warm weather.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.